Fieldbrook Road collision releases bear pepper spray

First responders to a reported head-on collision on Fieldbrook Road on Monday underwent decontamination measures after potentially being exposed to an unknown chemical that turned out to be bear pepper spray.

The California Highway Patrol traffic incident website indicated the collision occurred around 4:10 p.m. Monday and both vehicles -- a pickup truck and Toyota RAV4 -- were on fire. Two parties reportedly fled the scene, and the road was closed while officials looked for them. CHP and Arcata Fire did not immediately return calls seeking more information.

Later reports on the CHP website indicated possible chemical exposure at the scene, but it was unclear what the chemical was. An animal hospital treating a dog injured in the crash reported that the animal was suffering from some sort of itching or burning, and staff members were having reactions.

Responders who might have been exposed were asked to report to the McKinleyville Fire Station for decontamination.

The Arcata Fire Protection District reported in a release late in the evening that investigation had revealed that two large canisters of bear pepper spray were in one of the vehicles involved in the accident. The canisters erupted when the vehicles caught fire, the release states.

"Thankfully, the chemical was not life-threatening and no one was seriously injured," Battalion Chief Sean Campbell said in the release.

"This product is designed to deter grizzly bears, so it is very potent," he added. "A small amount of chemical can have enormous effects."

According to the release, people being treated at a local hospital after the accident reported experiencing symptoms that included dizziness, burning skin, burning eyes, rash and skin irritation.

Campbell said the investigation was a coordinated effort from the Humboldt Bay Fire HAZMAT Team, dispatchers in the Fortuna Command Center and all the emergency responders who were involved in the incident.

"A lot of people did a great deal of research in a very short time period to get the information necessary to mitigate this incident with minimal impact to our communities," Campbell said.